


Ashes to Ashes

by Fallen_Angel_13



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: AU of basically every zombie apocalypse thingy there is, Angst, F/F, F/M, I had to get them in here cmon, Its my first attempt at writing in a different language so pls be kind, Raider fights heck yeah, Raider!Doomfist, Raider!Reaper, Slow Burn, Talon are raiders now, This will be a mess but I like it, dystopic future
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:40:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25106341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallen_Angel_13/pseuds/Fallen_Angel_13
Summary: A deadly disease devastated the earth and left it ravaged. The few survivors desperately hunt for supplies and fight to survive in the abandoned lands. But they do not realize they are not the only ones hunting...
Relationships: Emily/Lena "Tracer" Oxton, Genji Shimada/Angela "Mercy" Ziegler
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Rise...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela needs supplies. Lena and Emily track down a stranger. Genji hunts. McCree gets saved by a stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love apocalyptic, dystopic stuff and Overwatch...so oh boy here we go.  
> Also more of an Introduction kind of chapter, but things will get spicy. Trust me.

* * *

The freezing, harsh wind was not held off by her thin jacket. It once belonged to her father, but he was gone. Like everyone she knew. Angela held back a sob forming in her throat. She had no time to grieve. With a teeth-clattering sigh she opened her backpack, which she found while she was out for scavenging. All of her belongings were stuffed in there. A light weight. She went through every tin she possessed, again, not many, trying to find one with food in it. In a frustrated cry, she threw the backpack away. No food. No clothing fit for the weather. At least she had water, for as long as the rain lasted. She had no choice but to go out, alone, and hunt. Both for food and a new set of clothes.

Angela checked her arsenal of weapons. A makeshift bow, a few arrows and a gun with two bullets left in it. Not much to defend herself in case of running into trouble. She picked up her far-too-light backpack and prepared to leave when she found out her necklace was missing. Panic filled her heart. The last thing she got from her parents, gifted to her for her twenty-fifth birthday. Back then, she had just graduated college with a PhD and had been happy. Now, she was happy when she could eat something. _How the demands have lowered_ , she thought with a slight chuckle when she found the necklace in a pocket of her backpack. Angela smiled when she felt the smooth, cool metal on her skin.

As always, it made her feel less scared, like her parents were still with her. "Now", she said, "I can leave." She hadn't intended to say it out loud and jumped at the sound of the echo, which almost caused a cascade of laughter.Her parents always said that her laugh was the prettiest thing they ever-

_No, I can't grieve. I can't think about them now. I cant. I need to keep on moving. Keep on moving._

She pulled up the hood of her jacket and left, with no intend of coming back.

* * *

Lena glanced to the outside, only to see the storm still raging on. Luckily, she and Emily found a dry shelter. "I hope there's no poor soul out there." Emily's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She only knew her for one year, but it felt like they were made for each other. With a smile on her lips, she sat next to the redhead and kissed her.

"Did you search the camp I told you about?", Emily asked. Lena shifted to become more comfortable and then said: "I did." She sipped on her flask and continued. "There were horse tracks everywhere. Whoever they are, they have good supplies." Lena grabbed a blanket and draped it over them. "Gosh, it's cold. I bet no one is out and about." Emily nodded and added: "You would certainly catch a cold-or worse." It went silent between them, but it was a comforting silence.

Lena's thoughts slipped, reminiscing the time before the apocalypse. She was just a fourteen-year-old girl with nothing weighing her down. But then, the virus came. The ones who got it always died. But some were spared. It seemed so random. The immune people were babies, adults or elders-it didn't seem to matter. But even with so few people around, there were still some looking for trouble. She frowned at the thought of them. Talon, that's what they call themselves. A group of bandits and raiders, killing people for their supplies and for fun. _Idiots_ , Lena hissed mentally. Especially now, people should be working together. She sighed, exhausted. "Let's get some sleep, love.", Emily yawned. Lena nodded and rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder, falling asleep almost instantly.

* * *

He caught a glimpse of reddish-brown fur behind a tall oak tree. Almost letting out a victorious cry, he could stop himself in time before he scared the deer away. Trembling with excitement, Genji silently drew his bow and nocked an arrow. He yearned for food. The last week passed without any animal crossing his path, leading to him almost starving. His hands were shaky and his arms were weak, but he managed to fully charge the bow and aiming towards the deer. His eyes watched the arrow fly directly into the heart of the animal, killing it instantly.

He felt the warm feeling of hope rushing through his chest. He would not die today, nor tomorrow. Struggling to pull the carcass to his horse Aquilon, he barely managed to mount after the task. On the way back to his camp he encountered nobody except a few birds. Silence greeted him as he wandered though the woods. The lush forests were relatively safe for those knowing the secure paths.

And Genji did. Two harsh years taught him what he needed to survive. He began to hum, looking forward to finally not having to worry about the next day for a while. He did not need to lead the horse, for it knew the path. Arriving on the small glade that has been serving as his home for two and a half month, Genji closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Peace, at last. He dismounted and started to eviscerate the deer with experienced moves of one of his many knives, saving the hide for later use. The hunter carried the guts away to not lead wolves or other predators to his camp. He cooked some of the meat and hung the rest of it on a makeshift drying rack. Exhausted, he went to sleep.

* * *

Her bones felt like they were freezing. It was impossible, she could not continue or she would die with certainty. She let out a frustrated cry. The houses around her were nothing but piles of rubble, which meant no protection from the environment. The strong wind kept on blowing raindrops in her face that felt like needles of pure ice. Angela needed to get inside, or she would not have the strength to continue later. She kept on searching, now with desperation in her moves. But she had no success. Finally, after an hour that seemed as long as a week, she found a small cellar which was surprisingly intact. She did her best to stay awake. She knew out of instinct that if she would fall asleep, she might not wake up.

But it was so hard, oh so hard to not dose off to the soft sound of rain splattering against the ground.

And Angela was tired, so tired.

She woke to loud shouting and men's voices. Her breaths were silent, but her heartbeat seemed way too loud. Someone would hear it, and then she would die. But nobody came, nobody noticed that someone was in the cellar. Slowly, her stupid little heart calmed itself. Angela began to prepare her backpack in case she needed to escape quickly. With a feeling of boldness, she decided to peek her head out to see who the men were and what was happening. She made her way upstairs and stared in horror at the sight outside.

* * *

Gabriel pulled the dead body to the others. _They already formed a nice little hill_ , he thought. _The enemies of Talon will be eliminated._ The next person was a boy, around twenty-five and with brown hair. "You look like a fighter", his right hand, Akande, said. "You should consider joining us." "We would of course spare you from torture.", Gabe added. "The boy scoffed. "Y'all think that y'are runnin' the world now, but, oh hell y'are wrong there, fellas. Before y'know it, ya get hunted as well." The two stood in silence for a moment, then Gabriel nodded. "What the hell are ya doin now, ya cunts? If ya wanna kill me, get on with it." Gabe just gave a menacing smile and watched as the boy's eyes filled with horror as he noticed the weapon on his right hand's belt. "OhgodpleasedontcutmepleasePLEASE-" With a swift move, Akande pulled out a rusty and bloody butcher's knife and severed the boy's left arm below the shoulder. Blood-curling screeches of pain of pain filled the air. "Now, would you kindly tell me the location of J-" his voice was cut off by a grunt of pain. An arrow was deep in his shoulder.

"Get the fuck out!", a girl's voice yelled. The boy ran, clutching his arm. Gabe could only get a glance on the blonde girl leaping over a tree with grace and disappearing into the woods, following the path of the wounded boy. "Don't let them escape!" Akande yelled. The leader gritted his teeth and pulled the arrow out. "How could she get past the defense lines?", he asked after he got his breathing under control again. Akande shrugged, then went off to organize a search. Nobody escapes death.

* * *

"Hold still. I need to fix that." The girl said in a calming voice and pulled out a small but sharp knife. "Jesus Christ, Lady, y'know how to do this right? Don't wanna bleed out, no offense.", Jesse said. The girl sighed. "I-believe it or not-have a PhD, so yes, I know how to amputate properly." Then, she began her work, and he began to scream. He heard the knife scraping over his bones and his flesh tearing. Then darkness came and pulled him into its gentle embrace.

He woke up and looked to his arm. Properly wrapped in bandages and not aching as bad as before. The girl was gone, but where he had rested he found a small note:

_Take two of these everyday, when the wound gets infected, search for penicillin._

_-Angela_

_Angela_ , he thought, _what a fitting name_.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos if ya like and comment what I could improve!  
> Also, visit my tumblr for updates: https://fallen-angel13.tumblr.com/  
> btw Aquilon is the Roman god of the north wind so... I figured...I'm a nerd for knowing that.


	2. ...and fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela discovers something. Lena and Emily meet a stranger. Jesse makes friends.

* * *

Angela wandered through the lush forest. The birds high atop the trees were singing loudly, calming her mind. _I just amputated a boy's arm without any proper equipment_ , she thought. _And I read about it in a novel._ She allowed herself a small smile. If her parents could see her now, they would certainly be proud of her. Her memory was flushed with warm pictures of her family and friends. She had no knowledge about anyone being still alive. She stopped, sitting down to rest a bit for a while. After the outbreak, her parents sent her away, to keep her safe. Days later the hospital they were both working at was destroyed in a Talon raid. Her group was attacked, too, and only she survived. She had been afraid of closeness to others ever since, so she kept on traveling alone. She forced herself out of the memories and back into the reality. At least the hunger problem was solved; the woods held many resources for those who knew where to look. She took a bite off a rabbit steak. It basically ran into her arms, and she was not foolish, even though she felt a bit of remorse. _But it's a kill-or-be-killed-world now, especially with Talon on the rise_.

* * *

Lena looked down from the bell tower of a small church. She could see Emily, as small as an ant, waving at her. She smiled, waved back and looked south. In the distance, beyond the ruins of the once prospering city of Zürich, covered by fog, she could barely see the edge of the forest with its giant spruce trees. "How does it look up there?“, a soft voice called from behind. Lena jumped up, almost hitting her head at the bell. "Nice, but please, do warn me before you pull of something like that again?“ Emily snickered. "Where's the fun in that?“ The girls started to laugh. The fear and tension built up in the last weeks by the constant fear of being spotted in the heavily Talon-invaded town began to fade. They both knew the stories about them. Victims getting tortured to near death, only to be healed up for another round. Trails and heaps of bodies left behind. All of the bad people seemed to have fused into them. They both knew what would happen if they were caught. "Let's get a move on, love. We have to use the daylight for as long as it lasts.“

* * *

Jesse groaned. His arm ached; well, his no-longer-there-arm. Phantom pain, he remembered the term. And oh boy it was fitting. He sometimes tried to scratch hims intact arm with the missing one, only not feeling anything-and yet something. Luckily those bastards cut off his left arm and not his stronger right one. After a few days of confused stumbling and wandering he reached the edge of the forest. „Why didn't I just stay in sweet ol' America“, he muttered. "But no, had to come here because I wanted to study here. Dumb cunt.“ _And now I'm talking to myself. Great. I'm going crazy._ Reaching the end of the trail and seeing the city of Zürich, he stepped out of the shady protection of the trees and immediately ducked, in case someone was there. He allowed himself one small peak, but that wasn't needed. He could hear them. Two girls, laughing loudly. He decided to do something stupid yet brave. He straightened himself and said: "Hey there, M'ladys. Haven't seen humans in a while. Mind if I join ya?“

* * *

Emily turned around slowly. A man's voice, heavily accented, called from behind. "Who are you? Are you Talon?“ ,she asked while steadying her grip around an axe, her preferred weapon. If Talon found them, they were in for a fight. "Woah, easy. Please, just-just lay that axe down, will ya? Don't wanna lose the other arm.“ She was a bit confused. He didn't seem to be hostile, rather a bit lost. Only then she realized that his severed arm was bandaged properly. Someone helped him, which raised her caution by a huge amount. Then she saw Lena approaching from the corner of her right eye. She felt safer immediately, comforted by her very presence. "You didn't answer me. Are. You. Talon?“ The man spat out as soon as the words left her mouth. "Fuckers cut off my damn arm. Never would trust them in any way. By the way, the name's Jesse McCree. Nice to meet ya.“

* * *

The cool air under the trees comforted her. She had always loved hiking in the mountains. She kept on walking through the dense vegetation. She found it amazing how fast nature claimed everything human made back. In a few years, only ashes would remain of the once prospering civilization of mankind. Suddenly, she stepped on something that was crunching beneath her feet. She slowly pulled it away, revealing old bones. After a small moment of shock, she realized that they were not human. The feeling of terror of discovering a body gave room to joy. There were people here, and maybe they were friendly. She began to search the area for any clue. She almost gave up, but then she spotted horse tracks leading deeper into the forest. _Whoever you are, I can find you now_ , she thought with a grin. Angela speeded up her steps and almost ran along the visible tracks. After a while, she came to a small glade. Night began to fall, so she decided to get some cover in the bushes scattered around the area. She would camp here for the night, then she would continue searching. Suddenly she heard a voice. It sounded pure, soft and joyful yet still so melancholic. She listened closely, as he began to sing:

_I walk the line_

_The line keeps falling_

_I'm falling down_

_down to the ground_

_Torn of my wings_

_but I don't flee_

_Torn of my wings_

_but still I'm free_

He suddenly stopped and turned his head towards her. She was petrified. Did he spot her? Or did he just decided to stop singing? She almost stood up to beg him to continue. Minutes passed. Then the stranger spoke again, still sounding as if he'd started to sing at any moment again. "Come out. I know you're there.“

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooo...they met! Yay! God, this was fun to write. 
> 
> As always, I appreciate any sort of constructive critique and kudos!  
> The people who did give me feedback-I hope I followed the tips you gave me.  
> The book Angela is referencing is „The Physician“ by Noah Gordon.
> 
> A short story to the song:  
> We had two hours of analyzing a poem. And as the good student I am, what do I do? Right. I write a song for my fic. Still had to analyze that poem, but...worth it.


	3. Shadows in the night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela and Genji talk. The shadows are moving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG I'm so sorry for the long wait! I was in Austria with my family and I didn't take my laptop with me bc I wanted to spend time with them (I see them like once every 5 years) and not write all the time. The next chapters will be probably out every 2-3 weeks. (The reason why I am taking so long is because English isn't my first language and I'm not entirely fluent.) Thanks for your patience!

He was bluffing. He must be. No way he could have spotted her in the darkness. She had been silent and had been hiding behind the bushes all the time. Angela smiled at his ignorance, until she heard a sound next to her. She turned her head to see a dagger only inches away from her head. She had to force herself not to inhale sharply. „I won't miss next time.“, he said in a low tone. Standing up with her hands raised over her head, she revealed herself. The next thing she felt was cold, biting metal on her throat. Fear filled her heart.

_I don't want to die, not now_ , she begged her fate. Please let him be friendly, please let him be- „Why did you follow me, Talon scum?“ he growled. „I'm not Talon. I came here in hope to find good company. While I found company, I don't think it's exactly good.“ A small laugh escaped his mouth, but he immediately caught himself. „And how can you prove that you aren't part of Talon?“, he asked. „I can't. I suppose you will have to trust me.“, Angela answered him. The man sighed and slowly moved the lower-arm-sized knife away from her throat. „One move in the wrong direction, and you're dead.“ She turned around to get a proper look at her captor. The girl gasped. He was stunningly beautiful, even with a large portion of his face scarred. „What are you looking at?“ he snapped, then turned around and put a green scarf over his face.

* * *

„How did you survive with one arm? Who took care of you? The wound looks rater new..“ Lena talked and talked like a waterfall. „Whoa, easy, one question each please. So Talon bastards cut off my arm, then wanted to know something 'bout someone whose name starts with J. Couldn't hear it 'cause a girl went all ninja style and got me out. She patched me up and left before I could wake up.“ Emily shuddered. „She must be an ass. I mean, just leaving a wounded man...“ Jesse stopped her before she could talk any further. „She left because now Talon's on her heels. And besides, I found you, and that's fine by me. It gets lonely without company.“ The two girls looked at each other, a silent agreement forming between them. „If you help us with everything you can help us with, you can stay. But no stupid moves or we'll cut off the other arm as well." The man nodded. „'Kay, well, the name's Jesse McCree. Friends call me McCree, you should, too.“ Lena approached him and shook his remaining hand. „I'm Lena, and this is my girlfriend Emily. Let's hope that nobody finds us tonight.“ McCree laughed. „You and me both, pumpkin.“ Emily cut in. „We should get going. I don't want to stay in one place for too long.“ So the three set off to find a place to stay for the night. None of them noticed that they were being watched.

* * *

Olivia, called 'Sombra', listened closely as the steps faded away. Then she stood up and stretched. She had been sitting there for at least an hour and all of her limbs had started to go numb. So the three tried to run from Talon. Fools. Nobody escaped them, she knew that better than anyone. Olivia sighed and pushed her rising memories back, trying to avoid the misery that she had been through. She would not tell her superiors, not yet. No, Sombra would stay in the shadows and watch. She felt like there was someone in control of all of this. And she would find them. Then, she would be the one pulling the strings. And if she wanted to be at the top, she needed information. And the group of three seemed like they had a lot of them.


End file.
